Cattle-guard for railways.



PATENTED DEG. 12, 1905.

B. F. GRABTREE. CATTLE GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30. 1905.

PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

B. F. GRABTREE. CATTLE GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION IILED AUG. 30. 1905. v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q N Q 31 wanton attorney PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

B. F. G RABTREE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 30. 1905.

CATTLE GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

in Q. D Q o MW n% w n o m j 0 w BENJAMIN F. ORABTREE, OF WINCHESTER, TENNESSEE.

-CATTLE'-GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed August 30,1905. Serial to. 276,430.

' To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. CRABTREE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winchester, in the county of Franklin and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cattle-guards for railways, and among the objects in view is to provide a cattle-guard comprising a gate or barrier which normally occupies an upright position transversely of and across a line of track, but which will be operated by an approaching train and caused to descend into a substantially horizontal position to permit the passage of the train, the gate automatically resuming its former position after the passage of the train.

A further object is to provide a cattle-guard which shall be of simple and inexpensive construction and not liable to get out of order.

WVith the above and other objects in view, all of which will be apparent hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of a section of a railway equipped with my improved cattle guard, showing the guard in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts as seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the parts in the position they assume when operated by an approaching train to permit the passage of the latter. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 4L 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a View of the rod 25, slightly enlarged.

l 2 indicate the rails of a line of track. Arranged intermediate the rails, longitudinally thereof and in sufficient proximity thereto to adapt them to be operated by the flanges of the car-wheels, are rails 3 and 4. These rails may be of any desired material, but

preferably comprise wooden pieces provided with facing strips 5 of metal secured to their upper faces. The rails 3 and 4: further comprise metallic strips 6 and 6', secured to the wooden pieces and which at one end are pivoted by bolts 7 between bearing-ears 8 of metallic angle-pieces 9, bolted to the ties.

The free ends of the strips 6 and 6' of the rails 3 and 4, respectively, extend toward each other and overlap, as shown,'and the under edges of the free end of the strips are cut away, as at 10, to provide arched bearing or cam edges, for a purpose presently apparent.

The adjacent free ends of the rails are pivotally connected together, for which purpose the ends of the rails 3 are provided with pins or bolts 12, which pass freely through slots 13 in the ends of the rails 4.

The guard is adapted to normally occupy an upright position transversely of the track to prevent cattle from walking between the ram s.

The guard may be of any preferred construction which will perform the desired function, and I show the same as comprising a series of uprights 16, preferably of metal, and connected together by horizontal connectingbars 17. The guard is divided into a section 18, which occupies a position intermediate the rails, and the end sections 19 20, which occupy positions exteriorly of the rails. The several sections are connected. together by means of a cranked metallic rod 21, which at its ends is seated in bearings 22, formed by bending the lower edges of the bars 17 of sections 19 20, and said rod also is seated in bearing-eyes 23, formed in the bar 17 of section 18. 1

The guard in practice is to be pivotally mounted to enable it to assume a horizontal position at the time when a train is passing,

and for this purpose the rod 21 passes through a bearing 26L, attached to the base of each rail.

In order that the guard may be operated by an approaching train so as to be lowered into a horizontal position while the train is passing and be raised again into its vertical position after the train has passed, I provide rods 25, each of which is bent, as at 26, to provide a bearing-loop for the rod 21 to rest in when the guard is in normal upright position. The ends of the rods 25 are secured to one end of the strips 6 of the rails 4:.

Each of the rods 25 is so bent as to provide an inclined bearing portion 28, for a purpose which will be presently apparent.

For the purpose of maintaining the inner adjacent ends of the rails 3 and 4 in a normally elevated positione'. 6., in such position that said rails may be operated by the wheels of a car-I provide coiled springs 30, seated upon ties 31, which are arranged somewhat lower than the others, and said springs bear against the under side of the rails 3 4. The springs are of suflicient strength to keep the inner ends of the rails normally elevated.

32 represents transverse connecting-rods, which serve to brace and connect the rails 3 and 4, respectively, together.

When the parts are in normal position, the inner ends of the rails 3 and 4 are raised and the portions 33 of the rod 21 are seated in the bent or looped portions 26 of the rods 25.

When atrain approaches, the car-Wheels will run upon the rails 3 or 4, as the case may be, and depress the inner ends of the rails, and consequently the strips 6, until the portions 33 of rod 21 strike against the curved under edges 10 of strips 6, and said edges act as a cam and force the said portions 33 to travel along said edges, thus causing the guard to turn on its pivots and-gradually assume practically a horizontal position, thus permitting the train to pass. The guard will maintain this position until the train has entirely cleared the rails 3 or 4, and then the coilsprings 30 will cause the rails to rise, and in so doing the portions 33 of rod 21 will be caused to ride along the bearing portions 28 of the rods 25, thus turning the guard reversely until the portions 33 of rod 21 Will fall secure by Letinner ends of rails 4 and bent to form looped bearing portions 26 and the inclined portions 28, a pivotally mounted guard extending transversely of the track-rails, a rod carried by the guard and bent to provide portions 33 Which lie within the said looped bearing portions, and springs arranged to bear upon the under side of the rails 3and 4 for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with the track-rails, of

rails 3 and 4 arranged therebetween as dezontal connecting-bars, a rod 21 connecting,

the several sections of the guard and bent to provide the portions 33 seating in the looped portions 26, and said rod 21 bearing under track rails to pivotally connect the guard thereto, and springs arranged to bear upon the under side of the rails 3 and 4 for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. CRABTREE.

Witnesses:

I. N. MARTIN, ARTHUR CRoWNovER. 

